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Generations at ISU's Student Union

1 rating since posting on Friday, February 10, 2006

in Indiana

(submitted by Michael David )

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Mich...

Best Buffet in Terre Haute
Dont let the popularity polls in the local papers fool you, they didn't even list any independents as an option. The Golden Corral of all the generic, cattle-herding food troughs around won the 'people's poll' for Best Buffet. Patently false.

The simple fact is the food at Generations is so homestyle good, the atmosphere is so unique for a buffet, and the service so superior to other buffets you have tried, that its worth the hellacious time you'll have finding parking, the long walk, and the tricky hours (11:30-1:30 M-F ONLY - yep just 2 hours a day). But thats part of what makes them great...because they dont have to keep troughs full for 8-12 hours or make changeovers mid-day, so what you get is fresh-cooked and just made. Because they dont have to template everything according to a franchise plan they can plan a different menu every day of the year if they desire. Because they MAY be subsidized by either the University or at least the level of traffic in that location, they charge a VERY reasonable price.

For roughly $6.50, you get a carafe of your beverage of choice, and all you can can eat from a salad bar, soup bar, bread bar, and two buffet carts which generally feature 4 platters of great, hot food each...usually 4 vegetable selections on one (with at least one medley or mix) and 4 entrees on the other (with usually at least one meatless dish). There is usually a carving station in addition to these with either Ham, Roast Beef, or Turkey.

The Salad bar consists of 2 buffet carts, always has a nice mix of fresh greens and usually 2-4 different cold salads as well on one. The fixins for the salads vary a little according to seasonality and just what they have or dont have on hand, so its rarely the same, but there are plenty of choices and the quality and freshness is always a step above what I have found anywhere else, (except the true Salad Bar specialist Ruby Tuesday's - selection cant compete here, but quality of what they DO have is on par). The only weakness here is that when they get busy they can have trouble keeping all the items stocked, but they are very responsive to requests for anything that is depleted, and they rarely get that busy. I am not a huge salad eater, but I do like to go up for some cottage cheese and either pineapple, pears, peaches, or mandarin oranges whichever one they have which is unpredicatable.

The Soup bar is just one soup of the day, in a big crock, but I see little repetition here and it is always palatable. I like mine a little saltier than they make stuff, but thats probably for the better since most health conscious eaters prefer less than I do. Examples from recent memory include New England Clam Chowder, Chili, Vegetable Minestrone, Chicken Noodle, Broccoli & Cheese, Mock Turtle Soup, Ham & Beans (with corresponding cornbread on the bread bar), Beef & Barley, Stuffed Potato Soup...you get the idea. And I promise these are all made in house, better than canned or franchise ready crud.

The buffett cart that features the days vegetables is my favorite stop. It differs daily in its four selctions, but recent platters included a corn, a corn/tomato medley, green beans (actual snapped fresh before cooked, I believe), Dijon Potatoes (wedges of Reds marinated and baked in a dijon mustard), a mix of two types of string beans, a California medley of Broccoli, Cauliflower and Carrots (with cheese sauce available nearby), individual platters of those three (Broccoli, Cauliflower, Carrots - sometimes the carrots are simply steamed, other times buttered, other times candied, sometimes baby carrots, sometimes ridge cut), Sweet Potatos or Candied Yams however you refer to them, various bean medleys, mashed potatoes (with a serving bowl of a gravy approriate to the carver tables meat)...you get the idea, something for everyone.

What I call the entree cart is really more like the side cart since your entree is actually probably coming from the Carvers station, but I usually eat more from this location. There is always one of something cheesy and meatless (Vegetable Lasagna, or Eggplant Parmesan, or Potatoes Au gratin), always one fish platter (either breaded fillets or plain baked or broiled ones, cod, redfish, your usual white fish varieties, generally either herbed and buttered nicely or crisply, lightly spiced breading), usually one platter of an alternate meat dish to the carver table (meatloaf, pot roast, broiled or rotiserrie style chicken), and a fourth platter...I'll call it a wildcard since I cant recall a defining feature for it like the others (Chicken pot pie, casseroles of one variety or another, a pasta dish)...again this stuff rotates daily and I never leave here hungry or ill.

The bread bar is not real consistent because I think they may only have one regular bread maker, and if that person is unavailable they dont make something substandard. When they are on full par it is great though, as there is usually a homemade bread sliced there, and dinner rolls, and at least one type of sweet muffin, usually a banana bread, but I have seen blueberry and even a raspberry swirl. One great day they had all three and a chocolate chip muffin as well as an apple muffin. Usually only one type, though, maybe two. Once in awhile, just rolls, when the bread person called in a couple days in a row.

Maybe one day a week they throw some deserts out on a table as a giveaway, probably when they made a little too much for some other campus function, or maybe just to be nice? This week it was apple pie with a flaky homemade crust. Usually desert is only available as an extra side order, but I never even knew that was an option until I asked one day...they dont push stuff.

They will ask if you'd like your drink refilled in a to go cup as you are preparing to leave, something I have never had done anywhere else, buffett or otherwise, and its free. And they dont ask as a hint to get you moving, they actually wait till you appear to be leaving. I have never felt rushed by the staff to turn the tabletop over as you will sometimes in other places. And they will GLADLY seat you right up to the last minute, sometimes several minutes late even if traffic is high enough to warrant keeping th doors open (rarely). If you come in at 1:30 you can be seated and eat food just as good as if you came in an hour earlier.

Little things...the tables are nicely clothed with glass tops over the cloth, matching cloth napkins, a full set of silverware, little crystal salt & pepper shakers, sugar, and BOTH pink or blue substitute sweeteners (important for pink haters like me; i hate a restaraunt that thinks no more of you than to give you the cheapest stuff even though it used to carry cancer warning right on it). Refills are fairly prompt and regular, though even if busy, one request will always get you what you might need. The place is small, so tables are also a bit small, but the place is cozy, not crowded. For whatever reasons, most of the students who populate the building actually prefer the junk food outlets just outside the door in the rest of the food court, so you are more likely to be eating with well-dressed academics and their graduate students, which can make for interesting eavesdropping if you are bored. I have dined next to everyone from the president of the university to Royce Waltman head coach of the mens basketball program and his staff, to department heads, visiting local political luminaries and state officials...you get the idea. Not your usual crowd.

If you dont have $6.50, the salad and soup bar alone are less. I usually leave a couple dollars tip and get out of here for under ten. Final Bonus, they give you a frequent diner card, and five stamps get you a free meal, so thats like 20% off each meal if you are a regular patron like I am (turns $6.50 into an average of under $5). Show your student ID and you dont pay sales tax either.

No doubt about it THIS is the BEST Buffet in Terre Haute. Hands down. Actually the best small buffett I have been to anywhere.

Edited in: [They close for the summer session, from May 6 to sometime in August, and there is rumor they may reopen with a different format in the Fall...I hope not. I have learned that Sodexo Food leases the space from the University, and the University does have some contractual say over what happens. Last time I asked I was told that the rumored changes were unlikely to be major due to a survey which indicated changes were not desired.] - Michael David , posted 05/06/06

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